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DCLexiLou t1_jdiu55y wrote

Seemed to and actually did last for years are two different things.

Wiper blades on average need replacing every 6 months, the materials in premium brands are better than the cheap stuff but they will still wear out, they'll just work better while they wear out vs. ripping or shredding that can occur with cheap blades.

Bosch and Michelin have quality blades.

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Gah_Duma t1_jdiuyxs wrote

A little more obscure than Bosch, but I've found them to be superior and last longer. PIAA Si-Tech. Lasts 5-7 years for me with no streaking.

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Captain_Bignose t1_jdivr0l wrote

I use Bosch and buy them off Rockauto for both my cars once a year. Around $4-5 per wiper and you pay shipping once.

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nwxnwxn t1_jdiwz16 wrote

PIAA Silicone blades. They last much longer than any others I've ever used.

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kuddlesworth9419 t1_jdixaa4 wrote

Not sure what I have on my Jaguar but after 3+ years or so they still work very well. Probably Bosch or something. I will probably replace them soon enough or at least if they rip or something. I need new washer jets really, there are some aftermarket ones that are a good improvement.

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Muncie4 t1_jdixy8c wrote

Silicone is the material. PIAA was the starter/most popular, SilBlade is a cheaper option. My PIAAs lasted me 10 years on first set. Got inserts and they are like 7ish years old now. Plus the silicone coats your windshield and give you a light RainXish coating. Procedure is alcohol clean the windshield, put the wipers on, turn on wipers dry for 4-10 minutes to bed in/coat the windshield, then you are good.

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reptomcraddick t1_jdj6032 wrote

I will say it depends on where you live, I lived in the desert for three years, DESTROYED my wiper blades, had to replace them every few months, moved to a more humid climate, they last for over a year now

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doolyd t1_jdj6nxe wrote

Bosch Icon. Going on 5 yrs and just starting to streak a little. Truck outside 24/7 hot sun but only a few weeks of cold to a few days of freezing (South Texas).

Best I have used.

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johan851 t1_jdj9pcy wrote

I can tell you that the RainX blades I got were garbage from the start and they're no better now.

I've had good luck with OEM blades and they're cheap. Gotta try the silicone ones people are mentioning in this thread.

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AdReasonable2359 t1_jdj9vsf wrote

Get some that are made out of silicon don't cheap out I have found wiper blades are one of those few items that in general the more you spend the better off you are just make sure they are made out of silicon.

Also if you live in cold weather scrape your windshield dont just run the washer fluid like I typically do

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dumpling1919 t1_jdjbbr0 wrote

I got some at Auto Zone that were about 12 dollars a piece and they are great.

Much much better than the ones I had from big box store.

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Gnarlodious t1_jdjbv3o wrote

Because ozone and UV attack rubber. All rubber is shorter lived now because more ozone in the air. Mechanics complain bitterly that rubber boots (like CV or steering) degrade in only a few years, where they used to last 20 years. It’s not necessarily because rubber is made worse.

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GG63AMG t1_jdjc5ne wrote

Whatever you get if you clean the contact points when washing your car they will last longer

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EastEducation8848 t1_jdjf3x8 wrote

My Bosch are probably about 4 years old. Have not started to streak.

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heisenberg070 t1_jdjihal wrote

I have had good experience with Michelin silicone from Walmart. PS: No matter the brand, don’t buy from Amazon. Lots of fakes. PPS: Wiper blades aren’t really BIFL

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Longjumping_Visit718 t1_jdjlgff wrote

You HAVE to replace them both at the same time. Michellin or Bosch seems to last me the longest; everything else, how long they last depends on whether or not cats like to chew on them or they dry-rot from a month of no rain.

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stevej3n t1_jdjm1fx wrote

Second for PIAA, Japanese quality, made in Taiwan. Lasts a long time.

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Ceolan t1_jdjoymk wrote

Bosch Icons. Check out the Project Farm video as he tested most big brands, and these won out over PIAAs.

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johan851 t1_jdjs36y wrote

Replying to BallsOutKrunked (#2,343,449)

I had high hopes and they're well rated, I wonder if something's just different for me. I live in Western Washington, it's rare that we have heavy rain but we get tons of mist and light drizzle. The wipers just smear everything for me. Sometimes it seems like the windshield isn't wet enough.

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caj_account t1_jdjsivy wrote

  1. Don’t park in the sun (park in a garage)
  2. Don’t over wipe.
    Blades will last at least 3 years this way.
1

BallsOutKrunked t1_jdjt42p wrote

Replying to johan851 (#2,343,551)

I'm in the sierra, basically just snow / ice or high altitude sun. Have you tried that rainx treatment stuff? I used that in New England and it blew me away. Often didn't even need to use my wipers.

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pleasetakethisID t1_jdjusv7 wrote

I have not had to buy some in a few years because I was without a car, but prior to that I had great experiences with the RainX wiper blades, and products in general.

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johan851 t1_jdjv7z8 wrote

Replying to BallsOutKrunked (#2,343,680)

I do use their wiper fluid and it works pretty good, especially when it rains hard enough. But when the windshield is coated in fine mist, it beads up fine, but there's not enough volume of water for it to collect into bigger droplets and blow off.

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bwonks t1_jdjwqgt wrote

I've got the rain x silicone blades. They have been great now for about 2 years. Crazy expensive though

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hearonx t1_jdjx7o1 wrote

A key to longer-lasting wipers is not to turn on the wipers when they or the windshield have ice or frost on them. It will rip off the fine fragile edge that is there to produce a clear, streak-free windshield. Turn the wipers on just ONE TIME when they and windshield are frozen, and they are ruined. If your car is in a garage or under a shed, wipers last longer. Sunlight deteriorates them. In sandy, dusty, gritty areas like deserts, the abrasive stuff wears them out fast. 60 years driving experience.

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shiddyfiddy t1_jdjz7i2 wrote

Clean the blades regularly and keep them raised during ice storms. You should start getting 2-3 years out of the cheap ones at that point.

Mostly just putting this for anyone who can't afford better.

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DeltaMudcat t1_jdjzu43 wrote

I’ve found that routine cleaning of both the windshield and the wiper blades extends their effectiveness. The Bosch have worked well for me, but I’ve not seen the PIAA.

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terrible_sloth t1_jdk1go9 wrote

Replying to flannelheart (#2,343,334)

I’ll probably explain this bad but here goes. Rock Auto doesn’t work like most online retailers and they will charge you shipping for every package in an order if they ship from different warehouses. So once you add an item to your cart you’ll notice letters next to other items as you shop, possibly an “A” at first. That means everything you see with an “A” will ship from the same warehouse. You want to try to purchase items that all ship from the same place or you will pay the full shipping price for each shipment. I’m assuming you didn’t because I’ve never paid them $26 in shipping even for brake rotors. But that’s where they shine is once you make one purchase you can find small items that are quite inexpensive and add them to your order and it doesn’t really add up to much more shipping cost. That’s what the other person meant by only paying shipping once. Hope that helped.

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Amp8424 t1_jdk2mad wrote

Replying to terrible_sloth (#2,344,711)

What really sucks is of you ever have to return said items, they all have to be sent back to each warehouse, A then B then C etc. So it really blows when you have to pay shipping to 2 different warehouses.

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JeepPilot t1_jdk4uum wrote

Replying to omw_to_valhalla (#2,343,193)

Another vote for Bosch Icons. I think mine have been on for 4-5 years now and still working well. Starting to get a little streaky, but not worn out yet.

Yes they are pricey, but it's a good value.

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throwaway126400963 t1_jdk984g wrote

Replying to Captain_Bignose (#2,340,028)

Wait you pay 4-5$ for Bosch fuck me that’s cheap, our cheap wipers aren’t even that low in eastern Canada. I just started buying them because I wanted quality products.

done drivers rain X and passenger Bosch the factory ones were better than rain x, Bosch looked and act premium

The first rain x I bought were faulty and the next pair were nothing special, they look so much cheaper

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Awavian t1_jdkc96u wrote

Tried RainX. They were ok but only lasted a year. I'm liking the Bosch icon blades I put on mine and my wife's cars

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l0g4rithm t1_jdkinvr wrote

I’ve gone down this rabbit hole. Ended up going with PIAA since they were made from silicone which makes them super smooth, but also had the best durability/longevity. Haven’t bought a other blade since.

https://www.piaa.com/aerovogue

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gr0wmy0wn t1_jdl0see wrote

Get yourself some silicone wiper blade refill inserts on that one jungle site.

Silicone Wiper Blade 5 Pairs Windshield Wiper Blades Refills Rubber Strips Silicone Frameless Wipers Blade Refills 6mm Replacement Wiper Blade Refill

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lurkinggramma t1_jdl1cfi wrote

Because you didn’t have to buy them yourself 🤪

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Specialist_Basket_35 t1_jdl3doh wrote

I usually tell my wife to get out and wipe my windshield at red lights. She’s 25 years old and going strong.

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georgeflug t1_jdl5glb wrote

Replying to nwxnwxn (#2,340,186)

I have PIAA on my daily driver for 5 years now and they still wipe very clean.

For the first year or two, the silicone made a Rain-X effect (water repels off the windshield). It does not do that anymore but they still wipe great.

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Sleerpy t1_jdlbyqt wrote

A lot of the time, the blades don’t need to be replaced - just cleaned. Isopropyl alcohol on a microfibre and wipe the blades a few times.

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bcredeur97 t1_jdmdl4p wrote

I will say oem vw/Audi blades seem to last a long time, not sure who makes them

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ramblinsam t1_jdmt6j1 wrote

I got a good 2-3 years out of the Michelin blades from Costco, and live in the Pacific Northwest 🌧️

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Particular_House_150 t1_jdmxutr wrote

Maintenance question: I’m sure there are a lot of “it depends” but what is the average lifespan for blades you might get on a new car?

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ethersings t1_je9h3kk wrote

Replying to hearonx (#2,344,195)

Silicone wiper blades negate all these problems. I’ve had a pair through three Flagstaff summers (high elevation, high UV) and two winters (150 inches of snow this season). I’ve parked in direct sun and ripped them off frozen windshields and they’re still like new.

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ethersings t1_je9itey wrote

Replying to hearonx (#2,480,900)

The downsides are the price, although their durability makes it worthwhile. Also, they’re stickier than rubber so most come with RainX type wipes to make the glass more slick. Just repeat treatment when you notice them sticking again (visible as skipping when they change direction).

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